ARCHIVED - Conference Presentation

The following is a text version of the presentation given at the Conference on Timely Access To Health Care, held February 8-9, 2007 in Toronto, Ontario.

IT Solutions - Improving Timely Access to Healthcare

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Presentation Outline

• The Access Challenge
• Example of What is Possible
• Good Things are Beginning to Happen
• The Infoway Investment
• How Does It Support Wait Time Management?
• Program Activity Summary Projected to March 31, 2007
• How Does IT Support Wait Time Management?
• What is Required

The Access Challenge

Providing Timely Access to Quality Care.....and doing that Efficiently Requires the Transformation of Healthcare in Canada

• Patient centred care
• Collaborative approaches
• Redesigned business processes
• Evidence based care pathways
• Relevant data capture and analysis
• Modern ICT solutions
• Timely feedback and education
• Innovative funding and compensation approaches

We recognize that information technology is only part of the solution

Example of What is Possible

Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute

Amazing Transformation in Only Nine Months

• Achieved a fundamental transformation in the way orthopaedic care is provided, using a patient centred, evidence based approach with innovative funding and provider compensation mechanisms
• Significant improvement in patient and health care provider satisfaction with
  • A decline of 80% in consultation waiting time ..... 35 weeks to 6 weeks
  • A decline of 90% in surgery waiting time ..... 47 weeks to 4.7 weeks
  • A decline of 30% in hospital stay ..... 6.2 days to 4.3 days
  • Faster recovery and enhanced patient engagement, accountability and education
• More efficient utilization of scarce - and expensive - health care resources including major gains in the number of surgeries per day per operating room

An electronic health record system made data collection "simply part of doing business" and "making being accountable relatively easy"

Good Things are Beginning to Happen

Within the Provinces and Territories

Jurisdictions are increasing Funding to Reduce Wait Times

• The Federal government's Wait Time Reduction Fund of $4.5 billion has been the catalyst for jurisdictions to fund more procedures
• For example, Ontario (April 2006) announced $222.5 million for 154,000 more procedures in the 5 key areas.

Wait Time Monitoring and Reporting is in Place........ however, there is still

• Lack of consistent information on wait times across all jurisdictions is Canada
• Inconsistent definitions of acceptable access targets
• Different methods of prioritizing wait times
• Incomplete development and use of evidence-based clinical pathways
• Limited use of information technology at this time

The real transformation has yet to commence

The Infoway Investment

For Electronic Health Records, Telehealth and Health Surveillance

How Does It Support Wait Time Management?

Program Activity Summary Projected to March 31, 2007

How Does IT Support Wait Time Management?

Canada Health Infoway Investments

Incredible Potential to be Leveraged Further

• To fully leverage the Infoway investment jurisdictions will need to move wait time management beyond basic monitoring and reporting to a patient centred, evidence based approach using electronic health records.

What is Required

From an Information Technology Perspective

The Key Solutions Include .....

• Registries that uniquely identify clients, providers and delivery locations
• Physician Office EMRs linked to EHR data repositories (eg. DI, Lab, Drug) so they can get results quickly
• Case Management Systems to support collaborative clinical teams with delivering evidence based care pathways
• eReferral capability to streamline clinician communications and the time to see a specialist
• Enterprise scheduling capability to improve resource allocation for wait time reduction
• Standardized wait time monitoring and reporting

Solutions that optimize information flow to clinicians and improve the allocation of resources to reduce wait times

From an Information Technology Perspective

......its Time to Start To Take the Next Step

• Leverage the existing information technology investment of over $2B that the federal government, through Infoway, and the jurisdictions are currently making together
• Implement new information technology solutions for wait time management
• Complete major pilot projects and test solutions that then can be replicated
• Work with key clinical specialties who want to lead and make wholesale transformational changes
• Work with jurisdictions to lead and significantly improve the management of wait times

The time is now, to take a bold approach and effect meaningful change with those that are prepared to lead